Higher Prices

I'm glad I have the letters section of The Morning Call to keep me informed about who should be blamed for our society's troubles. The price of gas is rising daily. Blame it on President Bush. PPL wants to raise rates in the future -- blame it on Bush and his mean-spirited Republican allies. Food costs are rising dramatically -- blame it on Bush. I have a pothole on my street than needs to be repaired -- blame it on Bush. Neither President Bush, nor Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama nor John McCain have much control over the market forces that drive these prices.

New EPA rules on carbon pollution have PPL, and the Danville area where its coal-fired power plant employs 280 people, on edge... After more than a quarter-century of preserving farmland, Lehigh County wants to find farmers to produce food on that land in order to serve a rapidly expanding population... Household expenses went up $777 in 2013 for families... The Seattle minimum-wage fight: Does $15 an hour make economic sense?... RETAIL WATCH: The curtain rises on the Shanty on 19th as new owners revive the landmark restaurant in Allentown's West End Theater District...

When you set out to shop for food in the next couple of weeks, better take extra money along. The record winter flooding in California, where so much of the country's fresh produce is grown, is resulting in higher prices for a variety of fruits, vegetables and salad greens. It may get worse before it gets better. "We think we will have the supply of the product, but it might be a little higher than the customer is used to paying," said Richard Pasewark, a spokesman for Giant food stores.

A wise man once said the best beer in the world is the variety known as free beer. But for brewers, a special ingredient in your favorite suds is anything but. In fact, during the past decade, the price of hops - the miniature pine cones that make beer bitter or give it that hint of special flavor - has foamed over the brim. The Hop Growers of America's latest statistical report , which was released in January, shows the average price of hops was $3.59 per pound in 2013. That's twice what it was in 2004.

Martha Jones buys her bread at Entenmann's Bakery Outlet. The 64-year-old retired Allentown resident also scans through supermarket circulars for the best deals, clips coupons and stocks up on some items at a nearby dollar store. "It's a sad and terrible situation and it's really tough times," Jones said, as she compared prices of ground beef at Ahart's Market on Allen Street in Allentown on Wednesday. "This is worse now than I have ever seen. Everything has gone up, from milk to eggs, orange juice and even the price of bread."

Inflation in the Lehigh Valley -- aggregate price increases on everything from milk and eggs to shoes and sneakers to auto repair and maid service -- is running higher than the national average. Generally, that's bad news for consumers. It means we're shelling out more money at a faster rate for all the goods and services we buy -- at the supermarket, the gas pump and the department store. And it means our pay raises at work and our investment returns are worth less because that extra money won't buy as much as it would have before.

By HARRY RINKER, (A free-lance story for The Morning Call) | September 24, 2000

Q -- I have two objects in my possession that I would like to know more about. The first is a War Ration Book No. 3 with the stamps intact. I was 9 when the book was issued. It has my age, height and weight listed on the cover. The back is not torn but is slightly discolored. The second object is a German Wehrpass identification booklet for a Major Hans Koenen. It includes his photograph.There are dates "4 Aug. 1942," "1943," and "1944." The booklet has an olive drab cover with a black swastika.

The March 6 editorial, "Wal-Mart, other large employers need to pay their fair share of health-care costs," shows a lack of understanding of the affect that would have on consumers and taxpayers. If employers are forced to pay what is called "their fair share" of health costs, they will need to increase prices. So, the consumer will pay higher prices. What's the difference whether the consumer or taxpayer pays for these costs in higher prices or through taxes? If employers are forced to pay health-care costs, can we taxpayers anticipate a like reduction in our taxes?

To the Editor: An April 22 article, "Dairy Compact gets Senate's Approval," stated that the state legislators want to set a minimum price for milk in Pennsylvania because of excess production. What a wonderful idea! With the higher prices, farmers will increase the size of their herds. This will produce an even larger glut of milk on the market and cause more animal waste pollution in the rural watersheds. To dispose of the excess milk the legislators can then subsidize cheese production and school milk programs at additional taxpayer expense.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.'s profits remained flat in the first quarter but sales rose 7 percent to $813 million. The Trexlertown industrial gas and chemical company said profits hit $69 million, or 61 cents a share, up about 7.5 percent over last year. However, excluding a $4.2 million after-tax gain this year, first-quarter earnings matched last year's record of about $65 million. "Softer economic conditions during the quarter, particularly in Europe, limited the capacity of our operations to exceed their profit performance in last year's record first quarter," said H.A. Wagner, Air Products' chairman and chief executive.

After a brief retreat during the spring, gas prices have suddenly shot up across the Lehigh Valley and much of the rest of the country. On Tuesday, the average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Allentown was $3.58, up 15 cents from last week and 18 cents from a year ago, according to GasBuddy.com, a website that tracks gas prices throughout the country. The average price nationwide was a bit higher, at $3.66 "This summer has been a bit of a surprise," said Patrick DeHaan, a petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.

I have been pro-gun my entire life. I have seen every gun control bill since 1967 — bills that passed, failed or never came to a vote. Why have all of these laws not stopped criminal violence? The gun industry in this country has enjoyed a solid customer base, more that any other industry. Yet in the aftermath of these mass shootings, what has been its response? Since the assault weapons ban of 1994, the gun industry's immediate response was to raise prices across the board, putting itself in the same class as the big oil companies.

NHL teams implemented a larger ticket percentage than the NFL and NBA for the second consecutive season, according to an annual study by Team Marketing Report, a sports marketing research firm. The 2013 MLB ticket average won't be released until the start of the season. Following a four-month lockout, the NHL began play in January and season-ticket prices rose 5.7 percent, according to the Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index. The average season ticket for non-premium seats is $61.01.

By Sam Kennedy and Spencer Soper, Of The Morning Call | November 24, 2012

Whether you use heating oil, natural gas or electricity, you are likely to pay more - potentially a lot more - than last winter. The main reason has to do with the weather. Last winter was practically balmy, which was especially good for oil users. It meant they were spared the full brunt of record high oil prices. But it looks like they won't be so lucky this time around, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Oil prices remain high, and weather forecasters do not expect another reprieve from Mother Nature.

The panorama from Leroy Shankweiler's Lower Macungie Township front porch spans split-levels and ranchers, Cape Cods and Colonials, as far as the eye can see. The view is much the same from porches throughout Lehigh County, where mid-priced suburban homes make up the majority of the housing stock. Just beyond Shankweiler's Ancient Oaks neighborhood, which sprouted in the 1960s, sits Brandywine Village, a modern development dotted with the McMansions synonymous with today's suburbs.

In the Lehigh Valley and elsewhere, we have seen the price of gasoline exceed $3.50 a gallon at the earliest point in the year. Experts predict that we will see prices of $4 a gallon -- and perhaps $5 a gallon in some spots in the United States -- later this year. Rising gas prices concern many, including readers of themorningcall.com. Here are some of their comments: And still we cannot get a rational reason why this is happening except price manipulation. I don't for a moment think this is being done by the oil companies though.

A major advantage in trading basic commodities is that each individual commodity can be analyzed by itself, with relatively minor consideration given to "outside" factors, such as national and world economies, interest rates, the stock market and other dubious financial data. For example, if we experience a poor grain harvest, prices rise. Conversely, if grains are plentiful, prices fall. Determining the basic market direction is comparatively simple. The key ingredients for successful trading are timing and money management.

To the Editor: The gentleman from Allentown who wrote in support of unions should look at another economic factor of unions. Unions started out as a good thing, but they now resemble something like a dog chasing its own tail. Every time the workers receive an increase in wages and/or benefits, the cost of living increases. The employer does not "hand out" these increases. The cost of these increases is "passed off" to the consumer. Since the workers are also consumers, they pay back part of this increase in higher prices.

Today we learned that oil is to be released from reserves to help keep the lid on gasoline and other energy costs while Libya is in turmoil. It is an appropriate time for Americans to ask themselves why gas costs so much. The answer lies in our gas guzzling ways. As with any commodity, higher demand leads to higher prices. We use twice as much energy per person as Germans, French, British and Japanese. Somehow they manage to live civilized lives on much less than we do. The price of oil is the same for everyone, so our insatiable demand drives it up not just for us, but for them, and for the poorest folk on the planet.

The rising cost of food and supplies is taking a bite out of some Lehigh Valley businesses, which fear passing along the expenses will only alienate customers. Wawa recently raised the price of coffee by 6 cents a cup, and fast-food chain McDonald's has warned that a Big Mac could soon cost more. Other merchants, such as Perk on Main coffeehouse in Emmaus and Billy's Downtown Diner in Bethlehem, are reluctant to raise prices as consumers grapple with high unemployment, strained household budgets and soaring gasoline prices.